Cardinals near bottom of ESPN's FPI rankings

If there has been a trend in the offseason for the Arizona Cardinals, it is that there is very little expected of the team nationally entering 2018. They have the lowest win/loss line set in Vegas. They are given very long odds to win the NFC West.

Though the Jets have the worst FPI rating in the league, it’s the Cardinals that actually are the longest shot to reach the postseason. The Jets have the benefit of playing in the same division as two other weak teams: the Dolphins and Bills. The Browns also are expected to be a worse team than Arizona but have an easier schedule. All three teams have a fair amount of uncertainty at quarterback, with a first-round rookie currently slated as the backup in the model.

Arizona’s expected win total is 6.1. They have a seven percent chance at making the postseason. They are given a four percent chance at winning the NFC West. They have less than a one percent shot at making or winning the Super Bowl.

Beyond this, the Cardinals are also given a nine percent chance they land the NFL’s top pick in the 2019 draft, meaning they have the worst record in the league. There is a 37 percent chance they pick in the top five.

In a nutshell, the numbers say the Cardinals will be terrible in Steve Wilks’ first season as coach.

Things don’t look good, but it does also set up the team to have a surprise run if they can prove people wrong. They will be ready to do just that.